Description

This is one of those destination climbs at the Gunks. There are also other classic moderates in the same area (Three Doves, Annie Oh!, and Limelight).

The Arrow access trail is just past some white rocks on the left side of the carriage road, at an open area with a good view of the valley. This is about a 13-min. walk from the Uberfall, and a 9-min. walk from where the East Trapps Connector Trail meets the carriage road.

At the cliff, spot the huge left-facing corner of Easy Verschneidung (Easy V) on the right; scramble up on ledges about 20' left of Easy V to start.

P1: Follow face and crack systems up and slightly left to a ledge system under a roof. You will notice a set of rap anchors to your right. A bit runout towards the top. 5.6, 100'.

P2: Angle right through the notch in the roof. After a few hard tugs, you will be below a beautiful white slab. Follow this slab, passing 2 bolts on the way to a final headwall. The crux reach is protected by a final bolt. 5.8, 100'. Bolts on this pitch were replaced in 2015 (see comment).

If you go slightly left of the final bolt, there is key crimp. If I remember correctly, you mantle and rock up for a long reach with the right hand. You can see the crimp in the first photo on this page. It is directly under the rope.

When I led it, I went right; if I recall correctly, I found a small sidepull to the right and rocked up on that to reach the ledge. Since I haven't made the move to the left that Guy describes, I can't say which is harder.

Afterward, I did ask Richard Goldstone (my partner for the day) if I'd been off route by going right. He told me he and some other long-time Gunks climbers got on Arrow one day to see how many different ways there were to make the crux move; they came up with 26. Heh!

Great route! Just did it 3 days ago. The crux at the final bolt took me four tries. I tried the left twice and didn't make it, then went over to the right and checked out the moves there. The chest high bulge made it feel awkward. The left seemed to me like the only choice, most likely because it's one of the hardest things I've climbed. I put my left hand on the "potato chip," my right hand on the low crimper and my right toe on a little knee-high chip and levered up, lifting my left foot up to a small slopey ramp, then slapping my right hand high for an edge. Then I could bring my right foot up to a solid, almost palm-sized ledge and I was home. Great.

To the right of the bolt is 5.8. To the left is 5.8 Gunks. ;-) Cheating beta for left move... Bring your right foot up almost directly below the bolt where there is a small foot placement. Mantle off your left hand which is palm down on the obvious hold to your left. Squirm up and reach the crimper with your right hand.

Left of the bolt is where the original route went. I've climbed that a few different ways. I think they are all 5.9, and no one would even think twice about calling them 5.9 if the bolt was ten feet below the move rather than in top-rope position. But the difficulty really does boil down to a single move.

This is one of many examples of the persistence of historical grading at the Gunks---the Arrow started out at 5.8 and that's where it stayed. Art Gran, in the first Gunks guide, seemed to have a bit of a thing about assigning high grades to routes done by climbers he didn't think were "good enough" to climb at that level; grading by climber rather than by intrinsic difficulty. The most famous example of this is a short, poorly protected lead called Jacob's Ladder (led by Phil Jacobus way back in the day; you could probably count the onsight leads in the intervening fifty years on one hand). Gran fell off on a top rope but still rated it 5.8 because that was his judgment of Phil's "ability." Enough good climbers fell off on top-ropes that that particular historical grade did not persist; the route is now understood to be 5.10.

Gran seemed to have it in for Willy Crowther, who made the first ascent of the Arrow, so 5.8 it was, and 5.8 it remains. With a top rope from the bolt, it really doesn't matter too much what the rating is.

Don't plan on aiding past the bolt or relying on it for a top rope. Climbed the route today and saw TWO bolts total. This and the Dick Williams guide both seem to suggest there are three. The bolt at the crux is completely rusted, protruding, and the hanger spins freely. I paced back and forth on that ledge for quite a while before pulling through on the left for the onsight.

Both of my seconds opted for right of the bolt after much consternation. I went to the left and didn't feel like it was too bad.

Note to 6-footers and up, you can reach the key crimp from the rest where you clip the bolt, though it'll be a stretch. Once you've found a comfortable hold for your right foot, it's not too much of a problem to move up to the jug above.

I don't recall three bolts; I remember a piton, then two bolts before the anchors. There is a fairly long (20' ?) runout a little after the roof but before the piton, though it is only 5.5-5.6 terrain. There are two good spots for pro above the roof but after that is the runout.

I love this climb! I think it's really rated what it is for just the one move by the final bolt, and the climb gets easier towards the right of it, but is more fun on the left. The rest of the climb is smooth, and wayyy easier. If you're anything like me (slighter built female), you're more likely to have a harder time with say a sustained 5.6 like the second pitch of High E, than to struggle too much with this. That's not to say it isn't a tricky move!

Great line. Did the same thing AntinJ did...back and forth between the two options and finally settling on the left side. I'm 5'6" and this was a somewhat balancy and reachy move for me. Feet were the key...got 'em up as soon as possible. My 6' friend has no trouble reaching the upper crimp without much effort...SOB! :-)

Led this onsite, Wow, what a great route! One of my first 5.8 gunks leads. Ape like moves at the roof notch down low were really fun, however, getting up to it risks a bad ledge fall. the lower angle section above is a bit run out, but reasonable. The business comes at the excellent white rock at the top once you reach the pin. Spent quite a while studying the moves at the second bolt, ended up pulling through just to the left. Real exciting! That move is no doubt 5.9, but with a bolt at chest level, who cares? You can bail and escape to the left on a ramp to the top if you can"t do the last move.

The description says "Angle right to a notch." I think this is confusing. From the rap anchors, you can either step LEFT along the GT and then head up directly under the notch, which is pretty well protected, or you can hop over your belayer's head and angle LEFT up to the notch, I don't think this is as well protected, but others may comment otherwise.

When the going get's thin, there is 1 relatively new pin and 2 3/8ths bomber stainless bolts that protect through the crux. I'd say the crux goes at 5.10b, but I'm a lot closer to Yosemite than the local Gunks climber. Either way, it's protected well. You can also get a small cam in between the bolts.

Bolted anchors were not there when the route went in and they are there for rapeling the route not as an anchor from which to belay. The first pitch comes up onto the GT ledge left of where the notch in the overhang is. Many climbers set a gear anchor in the right facing corner by Limelight or right in the middle of the face to belay from. From any of those spots the notch is up and right. The best way to do Arrow is to forgo the belay all together and run it in to one long rope stretching pitch. Great 200+ feet of climbing.

With respect to the grade of the crux being 10.b, not even close. I think that is more a matter of not being accustomed to Gunks climbing. There are a number of very solid and secure ways to do that crux at 5.8. If you want a feeling for what Gunks 5.10 thin face is try Never Neverland.

Just onsighted this as my first 5.8 lead yesterday...very exciting. My partner belayed p2 from the rap anchors on the right side of the ledge...this is a nice location if you clip to the top ring of the anchor, since you can nestle into the shade under the roof and you're not in the way of anyone coming down...however you're pretty much out of sight/earshot of the leader.

[spoiler beta] If you start up the corner right of the notch there's no good pro, but if you then step left about 4' there's a left-facing flake at eye level that takes a 00 cam nicely...just enough to get you under the notch.

At the crux I tested the potato chip with my left hand and decided to go right, which definitely was easier...will follow the other beta next time.

I personally find the section between the two bolts to be the crux. I had used my small gear already and had nothing to proctect the section between the bolts and was feeling decently run out by the time I clipped the second bolt. This section is what I feel is 5.8 face climbing.

Used a single set of cams up to #2 and a set of tricams with C3's down to the red one. Felt this protected the climb fine. If I were to double up I'd bring and extra .75 and .5.

Thank you to the FA climbers who decided to bolt this route. Definitely wouldn't have been able to enjoy this climb without these bolts. Great ethic here too, the distance between bolts really followed ADK/Gunks ethics and the clipping stances were really well thought out.